Portable beverage cooler



Oct 1966 J. E. CHRISTMAN ETAL 3,278,088

PORTABLE BEVERAGE COOLER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 5, 1965 INVENTORS. JEAN E. CHRISTMAN GEORGE W. CHRISTMAN ATTORNEY.

Oct. 11, 1966 J. E. CHRISTMAN ETAL 3,278,038

PORTABLE BEVERAGE COOLER Filed Oct. 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IOL f INVENTORS JEAN E. CHRISTMAM B GEORGE w. CHRIST/WAN ATTORNEY- United States Patent 3,278,088 PORTABLE BEVERAGE COOLER Jean E. Christman and George W. Christman, both of 575 Wyckoff Ave., Ramsey, NJ. Filed Oct. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 493,001 7 Claims. (Cl. 222-146) This invention relates generally to portable beverage coolers and is directed particularly to a portable icecooled cooler for carrying and dispensing beverages sold in cylindrical cans of the type adapted to be fitted with a pressure head for dispensing the contained beverage through a spout associated with the pressure head.

Beer and other beverages are now being sold in cylindrical metal containers or tin cans holding a full gallon. A reuseable pressure head has been devised which can readily be attached against the top of such a large can and which includes a spout, means for pressurizing the can contents, and valve means for dispensing the contents at the spout as desired. It is the principal object of this invention to provide a portable cooler and carrying case for use with such a large beverage can equipped with a pressure head, and utilizing ice cubes or crushed ice as the cooling agent.

It is another object to provide a portable beverage cooler of the above nature which will be especially well suited to use in carrying, cooling and dispensing canned beverages at picnics and other outings where electrical refrigeration facilities are not available.

Yet another object is to provide a portable beverage cooler of the character described which will be attractive in appearance, compact, economical in cost, light weight, and durable in use.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a portable beverage cooler embodying the invention, shown in use;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the cooler shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view, in vertical cross-section, of the cooler;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of the cooler liner, taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows and illustrating details liner lock mechanism; and

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 each illustrate, in perspective, modified forms of the portable cooler shown in FIGS. 1 through 3.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, 10 in FIGS. 1 through 3 designates a preferred form of a portable beverage cooler embodying the invention, the same being comprised, generally, of a cylindrical outer container 11, a cover 12, and a removable interior liner 13.

The container 11, which is preferably molded of a synthetic plastic foam material because of its lightness and good heat insulating qualities, has its circular bottom wall 14 formed with an interior, concentric, annular boss 15 provided with an annular, concentric recess 16 of substantially rectangular cross-section. The upper end of the cylindrical container 11 is formed with an arcuate depression 17, inwardly inclined from. its lower end, where it merges with the cylindrical wall thereof, to provide an inclined recess for receiving a glass G to be filled, as is hereinafter more fully described.

The circular cover 12, which is also preferably made of a synthetic plastic foam material, is formed in its underside With a projecting annular flange or rib 18 the outer diameter of which is slightly less than the internal diameter of the container 11, whereby said rib will fit within the open end of said container to prevent accidental lateral displacement of the cover. The cover 12 is provided with a wide, radiallyextending slot 19 the inner end of which is semi-circularly rounded, as indicated at 20, said slot providing an opening in the cover for passage and movement of the pressure head P.

The cylindrical container 11 is provide-d with a handle 21 rotatable on a bail comprising side portions 22, 22 journalled at their outer ends on studs 23, 23 fixed at diametrically-opposed positions at the upper end of said container.

The removable liner 13 is preferably of metal, such as of stainless steel, and tubular in form of such diameter and wall thickness as to fit removably in the annular recess 16 in the boss 15 of the container bottom wall 14. The liner 13 may be made, for example, of a rectangular piece of sheet metal bent into cylindrical shape and either welded at the meeting edges, or, as illustrated in FIG. 4, hooked together at the meeting edges as by plurality of opposed, interfitting, struck-out lugs or tabs 24, 25 provided in spaced relation along marginal portions thereof. A spigot 26 is fitted in the wall of the container 11 near the lower end thereof to drain ice water.

In use, the liner 13 will be fitted in place within the container 11 to provide an annular space between the outer wall of said liner and the inner wall of said container for receiving the coolant, preferably in the form of cube or crushed ice as indicated at R in FIG. 3. The gallon beverage can C fitted with a pressure head unit P will then be placed down within the liner 13 with the spout S of said pressure head unit extending out over the arcuate depression 17 of the container 11. The cover 12 can then be applied with its slot 19 extending over the arcuate depression 17 to permit placement of a glass G in the container depression 17 for filling from the spout S as the pressure head P is moved forwardly to open its dispensing valve.

FIG. 5 illustrates a modification of the invention 10a differing from that of FIGS. 1 through 4 described above only in that individual cylindrical handles 28, 28 are fixed at each side of the container, and in that the cover is divided into two parts 29 and 30 individually hinged at each side of the container as by hinges 3t), 31, respectively, to open up and away from the pressure head opening.

FIG. 6 illustrates another modification 10b differing from that of FIGS. 1 through 4 only in that the container 22 is of substantially square cross-sectional shape and tapered to slightly increased size from bottom to top. The container is provided with a square cover 34 hinged as by a hinge 35 to the back Wall of said container.

'FIG. 7 illustrates still another modification of the invention designated 10c, differing from that of FIGS. 1 through 4 only in that the container is formed with opposed, sidewardly-projecting wing portions 36, 37 which are hollowed out at the top to provide recesses either for food tidbits or for a decorative floral arrangement, as desired.

While we have shown and described herein only four forms in which the invention can conveniently be embodied in practice, it is to be understood that these forms or modifications are presented by way of example only, and not in a limiting sense. The invention, in brief, comprises all the embodiments and modifications coming within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A portable beverage cooler comprising, in combination, an outer container having an enclosing side wall and a bottom wall, an annular slot in the interior side of said bottom wall, a tubular liner member removably receivable at one end in said bottom wall slot for holding said liner in spaced relation with respect to the interior of said enclosing wall, the outer surface of said liner and the inner surface of said enclosing wall defining an annular chamber adapted to receive a cooling agent, the upper end of said side wall having an arcuate depression formed therein, said depression being inwardly inclined from its lower end to its upper end, and a cover for enclosing the upper end of said outer container, said cover having a wide slot for passage of a pressure head associated with a beverage can disposed within the liner.

2. A portable beverage container as defined in claim 1 wherein said outer container is of generally cylindrical form.

3. A portable beverage container as defined in claim 2 wherein said cover is circular and formed in its underside with a concentric rib the outer diameter of which is slightly less than the internal diameter of said outer container.

4. A portable beverage container as defined in claim 2 wherein said cover is diametrically and symmetrically divided into two equal parts, each part being hinged to diametrically opposed portions of said enclosing side wall, said cover slot being in register with said arcuate depression.

5. A portable beverage container as defined in claim 1 wherein said outer container is substantially square in cross-sectional shape, and of increasing size from bottom to top.

6. A portable beverage container as defined in claim 5 wherein said cover is substantially square in shape and hinged along one edge to an upper edge portion of said enclosing side Wall.

7. A portable beverage container as defined in claim 2 including a pair of opposed wing members integrally formed with said enclosing wall and extending outwardly from each side thereof, said wing portions each being formed with a recess serving as auxiliary containing means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 925,516 6/1909 Schmidt 22O-32 X 2,512,105 6/1920 Kooij et al. 222-54() X 2,686,613 8/1954 Tamminga 222-446 X 2,759,337 8/1956 KatZ 220-17 X M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

F. R. HANDREN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PORTABLE BEVERAGE COOLER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN OUTER CONTAINER HAVING AN ENCLOSING SIDE WALL AND A BOTTOM WALL, AND ANNULAR SLOT IN THE INTERIOR SIDE OF SAID BOTTOM WALL, A TUBULAR LINER MEMBER REMOVABLY RECEIVABLE AT ONE END IN SAID BOTTOM WALL SLOT FOR HOLDING SAID LINER IN SPACED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID ENCLOSING WALL, THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID LINER AND THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID ENCLOSING WALL DEFINING AN ANNULAR CHAMBER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A COOLING AGENT, THE UPPER END OF SAID SIDE WALL HAVING AN ARCUATE DEPRESSION FORMED THEREIN, SAID DEPRESSION BEING INWARDLY INCLINED FROM ITS LOWER END TO ITS UPPER END, A COVER FOR ENCLOSING THE UPPER END OF SAID OUTER CONTAINER, SAID COVER HAVING A WIDE SLOT FOR PASSAGE OF A PRESSURE HEAD ASSOCIATED WITH A BEVERAGE CAN DISPOSED WITHIN THE LINER. 